For those who think warm-up skates in the NHL don’t have a lot of excitement to offer – [...]
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Lafleur leads the way
FOR A QUARTER OF A CENTURY, GUY LAFLEUR HAS HAD A FIRM GRASP ON THE FLAME AS THE TOP POINT-GETTER...
Montreal | February 6th, 2009
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“To you from failing hands we throw the torch. Be yours to hold it high.” For a quarter of a century, Guy Lafleur has had a firm grasp on the flame as the top point-getter in Canadiens history.
Joe Malone. Newsy Lalonde. Aurèle Joliat. Howie Morenz. Elmer Lach. Maurice Richard. Jean Beliveau. As “The Flower” hit the Forum ice on February 9, 1984 for a tilt versus the Vancouver Canucks, he was getting set to open the door to an exclusive club in franchise history, joining those before him who, at one point in their careers, had led the Canadiens in scoring.
Owner of 1,219 points since his NHL debut in 1971, Lafleur needed just one more to dethrone Beliveau, his childhood idol who himself had taken the crown from Maurice Richard in 1968.
Not one to waste time, Lafleur grabbed hold of the title just 2:35 into the contest. With the score even at 1-1, the dynamic winger set up Perry Turnbull for a marker, thus becoming the Canadiens’ all-time leading scorer in his 919th game, 206 less than required by “Le Gros Bill.”
With the wind in his sails, Lafleur went even further. The speedy No. 10 beat Canucks goalie John Garrett three times, potting his 16th and ultimately final hat trick in a Habs sweater.
Vancouver would spoil the party, though, erasing a four-goal deficit to take the game, 7-6. Nonetheless, the last word was left to Lafleur, who earned first star honors while chants of “Guy! Guy! Guy!” once again reverberated from every last inch of the Forum.
Joe Malone. Newsy Lalonde. Aurèle Joliat. Howie Morenz. Elmer Lach. Maurice Richard. Jean Beliveau. As “The Flower” hit the Forum ice on February 9, 1984 for a tilt versus the Vancouver Canucks, he was getting set to open the door to an exclusive club in franchise history, joining those before him who, at one point in their careers, had led the Canadiens in scoring.
Owner of 1,219 points since his NHL debut in 1971, Lafleur needed just one more to dethrone Beliveau, his childhood idol who himself had taken the crown from Maurice Richard in 1968.
Not one to waste time, Lafleur grabbed hold of the title just 2:35 into the contest. With the score even at 1-1, the dynamic winger set up Perry Turnbull for a marker, thus becoming the Canadiens’ all-time leading scorer in his 919th game, 206 less than required by “Le Gros Bill.”
With the wind in his sails, Lafleur went even further. The speedy No. 10 beat Canucks goalie John Garrett three times, potting his 16th and ultimately final hat trick in a Habs sweater.
Vancouver would spoil the party, though, erasing a four-goal deficit to take the game, 7-6. Nonetheless, the last word was left to Lafleur, who earned first star honors while chants of “Guy! Guy! Guy!” once again reverberated from every last inch of the Forum.